Mentalist Episode Tag: Violets, 6x16
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Cho contemplates the Jisbon conundrum. Spoilers, 6x16. Rated T for mild language.


**A/N: **So sorry I've been off the grid the past couple of weeks. I've been under a lot of stress with my job, and that has likely caused my severe case of writer's block. I've made an attempt here to get back in the swing of things. So many good tags out there for "Violets", that I thought I'd go a little bit different of a route than my usual straight Jisbon. I hope you like this, because Cho is actually my second-favorite character after Jane.

**Episode Tag: Violets, 6x16**

For the first time since Jane and Lisbon joined him at the FBI, Cho felt like he was working with a team again. Hence, the Case Closed Pizza. He still missed Wayne Rigsby like he would have his own brother (if he'd had one), so having this recent crazy, convoluted plan of Jane's come to life seemed like old times. It was almost comforting to be a part of a cohesive unit, one that was not only successful in its job, but also had fun at the same time. Seeing Lisbon and Jane at their best instead of at opposite poles of an ongoing investigation made Cho finally feel like he could make a home here at the FBI. He felt the peace that came when everything was back to normal—with the exception of the absent Rigsbys, that is.

Abbot proved not to be as big a hard ass as he'd shown himself to be on most occasions (though he had a mean right hook, he thought, feeling the ache in his bruised jaw. Undercover punches still hurt like real punches). Even Fischer had loosened up a bit and, instead of fighting Jane's shenanigans as she'd been instinctively wont to do, she'd gone along with his plan and actually seemed to have enjoyed herself for a change.

_Resistance is futile, Fischer_, he thought, grinning inwardly. Sooner or later, everyone got sucked into the black hole of madness that was Patrick Jane.

Wiley seemed also to be coming into his own under Cho and Jane's careful tutelage. He was becoming less a geek and more an actual human being interacting with other real world human beings. Cho wasn't sure yet if he would become Jane's new protégé or his own, but either way, the kid had potential.

Yes, thought Cho, it was good to be part of a team again.

Wiley and Fischer joined him in the Fish Bowl where they could spread out and eat comfortably.

"Lisbon and Pike just split," said Wiley sitting gingerly in a leather chair. "_Together_," he finished suggestively. The young analyst looked in awe around the conference room where he was rarely invited.

Cho frowned. "What are we, in eighth grade?"

Kim snorted softly. "I don't blame her. Pike's pretty cute."

Cho rolled his eyes but didn't comment further. He felt suddenly, unaccountably suspicious of this development. He felt a brotherly protectiveness toward Lisbon, and while Pike seemed to be a good guy, despite Cho's innate romantic streak, his brain still thought like a cop. The Art Squad agent must be smooth, for it had taken less than two minutes to get Lisbon out of the office with him. Something was rotten in the state of Texas, or so said Cho's instincts. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it had something to do with the fact that Jane was nowhere in sight.

Ten minutes later, when Cho returned to the break room with his empty plate, he found Jane sitting alone in the chair Lisbon had abandoned. The consultant was chewing methodically on a lukewarm slice, without even a hint of the usual enjoyment with which he consumed everything.

"Hey, Cho. Case Closed Pizza—one of my favorite old traditions."

Cho nodded. "Not as good as Luigi's in Sacramento…"

Jane's mood seemed to lighten a bit at the reminiscence. "True…good times." His grin turned melancholy.

"Where'd Lisbon go?" Cho asked innocently, though he was absolutely fishing to see what Jane thought of this latest development in Lisbon's life. Not that Jane deserved a say in it.

"She and Pike headed out together," replied Jane blandly.

"That didn't take long."

Jane looked up sharply, his knowing gaze honing in on Cho as the agent began tossing the empty pizza boxes in the trash.

"She deserves some fun," said Jane almost defensively. "Pike's a nice guy."

"Yeah. No sense her waiting around anymore. Nothing stopping her."

"No," said Jane, dropping his half-eaten slice on his paper plate in uncharacteristic annoyance. "Nothing at all."

Cho had watched Lisbon suffer in Jane's absence time and again. Karma had to suck.

Cho took a moment to regard Jane, from the top of his unruly hair to the bottom of his beaten-up shoes. He somehow seemed even more pathetic now than he had when Red John was alive, at least in appearance. The heavy wool socks were a recent improvement, but Jane hadn't lost the air of the beach bum, despite his faded tan.

"You're an idiot," said Cho, and left it at that.

Jane didn't argue with him. Instead, he got up and tossed his pizza and plate in the trash.

"Thanks for the memories," Jane said wryly over his shoulder, then left the break room for the corridor that led to the elevators.

At the rate people were abandoning their slices, Cho wondered idly why he'd bothered. No one but the new guys seemed to be interested tonight.

He shook his head to himself. He had mixed emotions on the subject of Jane and Lisbon. On one hand, he had once secretly shared Rigsby's belief that someday Lisbon and Jane would be together, though since Jane's return Cho was decidedly up in the air about it. On the other hand, his loyalty extended to Lisbon far above that of Jane. He wanted Lisbon to be happy, and if that meant she found it without Jane, well so be it.

Still, Cho had risked his life and career on Jane's behalf enough that he still felt reluctantly invested in what became of him. After all the man had suffered, the romantic in Cho wanted him to find his happy ending. He didn't know, however, if Jane would be able to find anyone that would put up with his shit better than Lisbon could. He didn't want to contemplate what would become of the consultant if Lisbon were the one to leave Jane.

Cho put the leftover pizza in the refrigerator. He realized in bittersweet amusement that he'd never seen anyone do this before. With Rigsby, there'd never been anything left over.

At that moment, Fischer returned with her empty plate.

"Hey," she said. "Don't put that away."

Cho felt a smile coming on, which, for once, he didn't bother to suppress. He brought out the box again and set it on the counter.

Fischer gamely opened it and loaded her plate with two more slices.

"I haven't eaten since breakfast," she explained, a hint of embarrassment in her cheeks.

Cho grabbed another slice, though he was pretty full already.

He regarded Fischer, a flash of how hot she'd looked the day before in her tight animal print dress coming pleasurably to mind.

"Good job yesterday at the party," he said sincerely.

Her blush expanded, and he wondered at it. "Thanks."

They stood together in silence, both of them realizing they were probably the last ones left on this floor. Cho felt his stomach do any unexpected flip at the notion, and he felt himself wanting to prolong the moment. He was lonely, he realized. His best friend was half a continent away, and after the fallout surrounding the downfall of Red John and the Blake Association, then his admission into Quantico and settling in at his new job, he hadn't had much time for any personal relationships. And Kim Fischer was a nice-looking woman. Cho pushed Lisbon and Jane's complicated relationship out of his mind.

"So," Fischer said, filling the silence before he could. "Tell me about this Case Closed Pizza tradition."

In the spirit of teamwork, Cho was happy to oblige.

**A/N: Yes, I have hopes of a Cho/Fischer pairing. Probably wishful thinking, but I think he deserves happiness just as much as Jane and Lisbon do. **

**As for my other fics, I'm almost finished with a chapter of "The Three R's," so I'll try to post that very soon. In the meantime, please check out my collaboration with waterbaby134, "Eyes Like the Sea." I'll tackle that one next. Hopefully, after next weekend, things will ease up and I'll be back on track. Thanks for all your reviews of my stories. I appreciate them more than you know. Thanks again for your patience.**


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